John Henry Hays (4 August 1844 – 27 January 1904) was a veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

Biography

Hays was born in Ohio, but moved to the state of Iowa at the age of fifteen. He worked on his family's farm for the next three years. In 1862, Hays volunteered to join the Union Army. He was injured multiple times throughout the war, surviving a gunshot wound to his left thumb and being struck by debris from a falling bridge.

Battle of Columbus

On April 16, 1865, seven days following the surrender of Confederate General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

Appomattox Court House Appomattox Court House could refer to: * The village of Appomattox Court House, now the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, in central Virginia (U.S.), where Confederate army commander Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union commander Ulyss ...

, Hays marched on Columbus, Georgia to secure the city's naval yards, weapons factories and supply depots. During the ensuing

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, Hays stormed a bridge over the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...

and helped to capture a fort guarding it. During the battle for the fort, Hays captured the flag and the flag bearer of an Austin Battery stationed there. He received the Medal of Honor for this act.

Citation

Later life

Hays returned to his family farm following the conclusion of the Civil War. However, he left to open a blacksmith shop in Greenfield, Iowa in 1868. He later moved to

Troy, Idaho Troy is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. Located in the eastern part of the Palouse region, its population was 862 at the 2010 census. History The community was originally known as Huffs Gulch when J. Wesley Seat homesteaded in the ...

in 1888 and opened a new blacksmith shop. The shop was ultimately destroyed in a fire. Hays began prospecting following the destruction of his shop and experienced some success at mining for silver. In 1894, Hays was appointed City Marshall of Troy.

Death

On January 27, 1904, Hays attempted to arrest Paine Sly for domestic disturbance. Sly killed Hays in the ensuing shoot-out. Although fatally wounded, Hays returned fire and was able to injure Sly. Sly was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

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1844 births 1904 deaths American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor American police officers killed in the line of duty Deaths by firearm in Idaho 1904 murders in the United States People from Greenfield, Iowa People from Jefferson County, Ohio People from Latah County, Idaho People murdered in Idaho Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub